Effective Youth Ministry Chris Ryan MGL
Youth Evangelisation Part I: An impossibly brief history of youth ministry in Australia Part II: The RCIA as an evangelising resource for youth ministry Part III: What does youth ministry look like if we take the RCIA as a model?
Youth ministry has always been a response to the decline of belief and practice among young people
Australia s Primary Strategy for the Faith Formation of Children and Youth: the Catholic School
The Arrival of Bishop Vaughan (1873) the education of the rising generation would be protected from the blighting influence of anti- Catholic secularism. The Church in Australia possesses two instruments to attack what I call earth worship, namely, the building of St Mary s Cathedral and Christian education.
The Construction of Adolescence
The YCW: A Response to the Industrial Revolution to the phenomenon of adolescence And to the decline of belief and practice among the young
Making the Evangelical Turn: From Antioch to Anointed and Sent
The RCIA A theological resource for informing youth ministry What is the RCIA? The process of conversion through witness, proclamation, ritual, catechesis and community leading to adult sacramental initiation
The RCIA 1 Evangelization (pre-catechumenate) 2 Catechumenate 3 Purification and Enlightenment (Lent) 4 Mystagogy
What has the RCIA got to do with youth ministry?
The model for all catechesis is the baptismal catechumenate (GDC 59)
The model for all catechesis is the baptismal catechumenate (GDC 59) How did the Church arrive at this statement?
Why? Ad Gentes, Vatican II s document on mission, describes an ideal process of evangelisation consisting of: Christian witness, dialogue and presence in charity The proclamation of the Gospel and the call to conversion The catechumenate and Christian initiation The formation of Christian communities
The Process of Evangelisation and the RCIA Ad Gentes Christian witness, dialogue and presence in charity The RCIA 1. Pre-catechumenate The proclamation of the Gospel and the call to conversion The catechumenate and Christian initiation The formation of Christian communities 2. Catechumenate 3. Lent [Baptism, confirmation and Eucharist] 4. Mystagogy
For John Paul II: This process of evangelisation belongs to the mission ad gentes evangelisation in contexts where the Gospel has never been proclaimed
The mission ad gentes is paradigmatic for all missionary activity: So the process of evangelisation is the model for the New Evangelisation and the pastoral care of the faithful GDC 59 Evangelii Gaudium 15
Pastoral care in mature church here Ad Gentes here New Evangelisation here These were once distinguished geographically
But due to globalisation, religious pluralism and migration... these contexts now co-exist
In Australian youth ministry today then We should be preparing for, and working with young people who: Are the children of practicing parents Have been baptised but have not been practicing their faith Have never been baptised
All 3 groups need a process grounded in the RCIA: Those who have not been baptised need the RCIA (or RCICCA) itself Those who have been baptised but not evangelised or catechised need something analogous to the pre-catechumenate and catechumenate The children of practicing parents need to complete their initiation
The children of practicing parents need to complete their initiation : Because a personal profession of faith is intrinsic to the sacrament This personal profession of faith presumes instruction concerning the content of faith (catechesis) which in turn presumes initial faith and conversion evangelisation So they need something like the RCIA too
The initiatory dynamic of youth ministry
Unpacking the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
Rite of Christian Initiation of Restored at Vatican II Adults Published in 1972 Based on catechumenate of 3 rd to 5 th centuries (ressourcement)
The RCIA Evangelisation or Precatechumenate Inquirer Witness Dialogue Presence in charity Initial proclamation of the Gospel Response of initial faith and conversion Rite of Acceptance Catechumenate Catechumen Training or apprenticeship in Christian life Communal life Liturgical prayer Mission Catechesis Rites: celebrations of word, minor exorcisms, blessings, anointings Dismissed at eucharist Rite of Enrolment of Names Purification and Enlightenment elect Lent Intense spiritual preparation Deeper knowledge of Christ the Saviour Prayer 3 scrutinies Presentations of Creed and Lord s Prayer Sacraments of initiation Mystagogy neophytes Catechesis upon Experience of Sacraments Integration into faith Community Life of discipleship communion and mission
Key Principles
1. The Paschal Mystery: Jesus death, resurrection, ascension and gift of the Spirit for our salvation is realised sacramentally
2. task of the whole community
3. Centrality of Conversion
4. A Process (Stages) Mystagogy Lent Catechumenate Evangelisation
Part III: Youth ministry s initiatory dynamic
Lent - preparing Mystagogy deepening evangelisation - seeking and encounter Catechumenate Formation
Youth Ministry by Stages
Evangelisation Stage Receiving the Seekers Witness Dialogue Presence in charity Participate in practices of the community Initial Proclamation of the Gospel
Equivalent of Entry into catechumenate > Personal decision to take next step in youth ministry
Formation Stage Integral conversion to Triune God Affective, intellectual, moral dimensions Participation in the faith community s life Social (communion), liturgical, missionary Catechesis - Word of God Ritual action
A second step analogous to rite of enrolment
Lent An initiating community on a common journey Elect Young people Whole faith community renews its conversion and prepares for initiation Retreat
Initiation Unbaptised Easter initiation Nominally baptised appropriation of initiation > Pentecost? Confirmation/Eucharist if necessary Children of practicing parents appropriation of initiation > Pentecost?
Conclusion: Re-imagining The problem: our faith communities Church: The solution: An Initiating Church for - Adults - Young people - The whole community